These were Mzansi's best-selling bakkies in March

Sales of new bakkies in South Africa are booming. Last month, those of light commercial vehicles increased 11.1% to 15,529 units compared with March 2022.

It contrasted with passenger-car sales declining 6.4% to 31,631 units in March compared with the same month last year. The strong performance of bakkies was partly driven by the introduction of the new-generation Ford Ranger, which is proving popular with buyers.

The locally built Ranger was the country’s third best-selling vehicle overall last month at 2,289 units, just behind the Isuzu D-Max (2,289), while the Toyota Hilux continued to reign supreme with 3,920 sales. 

At the moment it seems there is no competition for the perennially popular Hilux, but the bakkie wars are set to intensify now that Ford has launched single- and supercab versions of the new Ranger. Until now, it has only been available in double-cab variants. The vehicle once competed neck and neck with the Hilux for the title of the country's best-selling bakkie, but Ford's sales dwindled as the Rosslyn factory geared up to produce the new-generation pickup.

Also, the impending arrival of the new-generation Volkswagen Amarok is set to create additional competition in the one-ton pickup market. While the last-generation Amarok was a niche seller due to its premium price and positioning, VW is chasing much bigger volumes by making its Ranger-based new Amarok available in workhorse single-cab derivatives.

The trusty Nissan NP200 workhorse was South Africa's fourth best-selling bakkie last month and ranks consistently high in the charts by virtue of having no competition in the half-ton segment since the Chevy Ute was discontinued a few years ago.

Behind the big four, all locally built, the imported Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up last month continued to notch up healthy sales due to its rugged abilities and keen pricing. Nissan's locally assembled Navara range, which recently underwent a major revamp, was in fifth place on 475 units. 

The GWM P-Series and Steed were the top-selling Chinese bakkies on 372 and 118 units respectively. The Mitsubishi Triton notched up 62 sales last month.

The Peugeot Landtrek remains a niche product, with 37 units shifted last month, while the even more niche Jeep Gladiator found 13 owners.

The Mazda BT-50, once a significant player on the country's bakkie landscape, sold just six units in March.

Top 20 new bakkies by sales — March 2023

1. Toyota Hilux — 3,920
2. Isuzu D-Max — 2,289
3. Ford Ranger — 2,247
4. Nissan NP200 — 1,404
5. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up — 966
6. Nissan Navara — 475
7. Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Up — 406
8. VW Amarok — 401
9. GWM P-series — 372
10. Hyundai H100 bakkie — 353
11. Suzuki Super Carry — 161
12. Kia K2700 — 145
13. GWM Steed — 118
14. Mitsubishi Triton — 62
15. JAC T-Series — 45
16. Kia 2500 — 40
17. Peugeot Landtrek — 37
18. JAC X-Series — 31
19. Mahindra Bolero — 21
20. Jeep Gladiator — 13